


Promise

by Squirbi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Being Walked In On, Coming Out, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, No Smut, Secret Relationship, Soft Zukka, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), not during sex tho, they were just smooching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27748285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squirbi/pseuds/Squirbi
Summary: Sokka has a crush on Zuko, and Zuko has a crush on Sokka. It all comes to a head when they are sparring one night.After getting together, Zuko wants to keep it a secret because he isn't ready to come out. How long will they be able to keep it under wraps?
Relationships: Bato/Hakoda (Mentioned), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 261





	Promise

Sokka would be lying if he said that he didn’t have a little crush on Zuko. Okay, maybe it wasn’t such a little crush, bordering on falling in love with him. 

It took him by surprise, one night when everybody was gathered around the campfire at the Western Air Temple, he looked across the fire and saw Zuko. He had seen him before, of course, but this time he actually noticed Zuko. He saw him as more than just the villain that had been chasing them around the world for the past few months. 

And, holy shit, Zuko was attractive. Unfairly attractive. His eyes were such a rich shade of amber, a color that Sokka didn’t even know eyes could be. Growing up in the Southern Water Tribe, he was used to dark blues and browns, so this was different. 

His hair was falling into his face in such a way that made Sokka’s breath catch in his throat. It looked silky, and Sokka found himself wanting to go over there and run his fingers through his hair. 

What the fuck was he thinking? This was the guy who had tried to capture Aang! The guy who had betrayed his sister in Ba Sing Se! Why was he thinking like this? 

“What’s up Snoozles? Your heartbeat is through the roof!”

“Nothing, I think I might be coming down with something,” he said. 

Toph elbowed him in the ribs. “I know you’re lying!” she called in a sing-song voice. 

“Shut up,” he responded, flicking her in the forehead. 

Even though he was embarrassed, he was honestly grateful for the interruption of his thoughts. He stood up, placing his bowl on the ground in front of them. “I’m going to go practice with my sword.” 

“Avoiding the subject, are you?” shouted Toph as he walked away. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

It had been a few weeks since that night, and Sokka couldn’t stop thinking about Zuko. Especially after Boiling Rock, there was no denying his growing feelings for the firebender. So, he tried to avoid it. He minimized his time with Zuko, as much as it pained him. 

Instead of confronting his feelings, he took out all of his emotions on training. 

He struck the tree again with his sword, deepening the gash that was forming on the trunk. He swung back, ready to come in with another attack when a deep voice startled him. 

“Wanna spar?” 

He whipped around, expecting an enemy, but was instead greeted by Zuko, who was holding twin swords. 

He placed his hand over his chest, feeling just how fast his heart was racing. “Tui and La, don’t scare me like that Zuko! I could have attacked you!” 

Zuko laughed, shuffling his feet. “Yeah, sorry about that. I just, I don’t know, I felt like you were avoiding me, and I guess I missed spending time with you.” 

Sokka felt his face heat up. “Sure, we can spar!” he said in a squeaky voice. 

He prepared his stance, squaring his shoulders to prepare to fight. Zuko did the same. 

Zuko lunged first, starting off with an offensive move that Sokka deflected with ease. 

They sparred for about fifteen minutes, exchanging blows and dodging each other until Zuko caught Sokka off guard and pinned him to the ground, breathless from the exertion of the fight. Instead of getting up, Zuko held his position over Sokka. He was looking him directly in the eyes. 

Sokka’s eyes darted to Zuko’s lips, then back to his eyes. Before Zuko realized what he was doing, he leaned down, quickly kissing Sokka before shooting back up. He heard a little gasp from underneath him. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why-” he was cut off by a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him back down into another kiss. This kiss was different than the one he had initiated, which had been quick, nervous, and impulsive. This one was more intense, an action that had clearly been thought out beforehand. They pulled away after a few moments to come back up for air. 

They looked at each other silently for a few minutes, before Zuko broke the silence. “So, does this mean you wanna be.... together?” 

Sokka nodded with wide, starry eyes. 

Zuko let out a sigh of relief, as if that kiss hadn’t convinced him and he needed more confirmation. “Okay, me too.” 

Sokka smiled and leaned in for another kiss. Zuko happily tried to return the kiss, although it was hard to keep your lips locked when you are smiling uncontrollably. They gave up after a minute of trying, Zuko rolled off of Sokka, laying down on his back next to him and looking up at the stars. 

“Katara’s going to lose her fucking mind,” Sokka laughed. 

At that, Zuko’s shoulders tensed up. “Actually, could we not tell her, maybe? Or anyone else?” he said nervously. 

Sokka turned towards Zuko, resting his head in his palm. “What? Why not?” 

“I’m not exactly… ready to come out.” 

“Of course, Zuko,” he said gently, “We’ll wait until you’re ready. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

It had been a long day of training Aang, and Zuko was exhausted. He was laying down on Sokka’s bed, or more accurately, on Sokka, and the water tribe boy was running his fingers through his hair. 

Zuko let out a hum of contentment, leaning further into the touch. Sokka laughed. “Dude, is cuddling not a thing in the Fire Nation?” 

“It wasn’t in my family. My mom used to give us hugs and hold us, but my dad shut it down when we were little because he thought it made us look weak.” 

“Oh. I’m sorry.” He pulled Zuko a little closer to him, lifting his chin so that he could kiss him, doing his best to be sweet and comforting. Zuko grabbed Sokka’s face in his hands, effectively deepening the kiss, just as the door creaked open. 

“Hey Sokka, I- oop” Hakoda looked up and saw what he was interrupting, quickly closing the door again. Sokka just groaned in annoyance, but Zuko practically flew across the room as he scrambled to detangle their limbs. 

“Dad, whatever, you can come in. You kinda killed the vibe anyway.” 

Hakoda slowly opened the door, looking quite embarrassed. “Sorry Sokka, I should have knocked.” He started to take a step into the room towards them, but stopped when Zuko shifted so that he was in front of Sokka. If Hakoda didn’t know any better he would think that Zuko was shielding Sokka from - oh shit. He had heard about how homophobic the Fire Nation was, but the idea that Zuko thought he might hurt his own son just for kissing another boy made his stomach churn. 

“Zuko,” he said slowly. “I’m not angry with Sokka, and I’m not angry with you.” 

Zuko’s arm fell from where it had been in front of Sokka as if he hadn’t even realized he had moved to protect him. 

“I’m sorry sir, I-” 

“Zuko, there is nothing to be sorry for,” replied Hakoda gently. “Besides, it would be quite hypocritical of me to get upset with you for this, considering that I have a husband.” 

Zuko nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor until the words that he had just heard caught up with his brain. “Wait, you have a husband?” 

“Yes, his name is Bato.” 

“And everybody...knows about it? And they’re fine with it?” 

Hakoda’s eyes softened. “The Southern Water Tribe is extremely accepting. I think you would like it there.” 

It was quiet for a few minutes, and then Hakoda spoke again. “I won’t tell anybody, if you’re worried about that.”

“Thank you.” 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Zuko cringed as he watched the actor’s portrayal of him, he really had treated Uncle like shit. He wished he knew where he was, wished he could apologize, wished he could tell him just how much he loved him. They got to the scene where Zuko fought Zhao in an Agni Kai. 

“Remember what happened the last time you challenged a master?” Fake Iroh said. 

“I’ll never forget,” said Fake Zuko. The lights went down, and he could faintly hear fabric rustling and set pieces being moved around. When the lights came back up, Fake Zuko had removed his scar piece, and they were dressed in royal robes. 

Zuko’s eyes widened. Were they really going to… 

“Please, Uncle! I really want to go to this meeting!” whined the Zuko on stage. 

“Okay, but you must remember to not disrespect the generals. They know much more about war than you do Prince Zuko.” 

Fuck. They were really going to do this. Zuko didn’t want to have to watch this anymore. He couldn’t do this. 

He left, excusing himself by saying he was just going to concessions and that he would be right back. He went straight back to the house, making a beeline for his room. He sat, just staring at the wall for about fifteen minutes until there was a knock on his door. 

“Hey Zuko, it’s Sokka. Can I come in?” 

Zuko just groaned as a response. Sokka decided to take that as a yes, opening the door and carefully stepping toward his boyfriend. 

“Can I touch you?” 

Zuko nodded, allowing Sokka to wrap him up in a snug embrace. He hadn’t even realized he was crying until Sokka was cupping his face, wiping away his tears with his thumbs. Sokka kissed his forehead, then said, “You know that what your father did was wrong right? You didn’t deserve any of what happened to you.” 

Zuko cried even harder, curling around himself tighter and letting Sokka comfort him. 

“I know that what he did was wrong. I know he never really loved us... so why do I still want him to? Why did I waste so much time trying to make him love me?” Zuko grabbed fistfuls of his own hair, “Why do I still think I’m weak for not fighting him?”

Sokka gently removed Zuko’s hands from his hair, combing through the messy locks with his fingers. “Oh, Zuko. You’re not weak. You’re one of the strongest people I know.” 

They heard the front door opening and moved apart so that they were sitting on opposite sides of the bed. Less than a minute later, the entire Gaang burst into Zuko’s room. Time to deal with them. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

“So, um, this is it, huh?” They were standing on top of one of the submarines and were preparing to resubmerge. Their hands were linked in the middle of the two. 

“Zuko?” 

“Yeah, Sokka?” Zuko looked into the water tribe boy’s eyes, which were brimming with tears. 

“Not to be pessimistic, but… in case we don’t make it…” Sokka took a deep breath. “ I just wanted to say that I think I love you. Like, a lot.” 

“Sokka, I… I love you too,” Zuko was suppressing his own tears now as he leaned forward to capture Sokka’s lips in a kiss. Sokka reciprocated, savoring the kiss like it was his last, which to be fair, was very possible. 

When they pulled apart, they both had tears streaming down their faces. 

“Zuko, please come back,” Sokka said, gripping Zuko’s hands a little harder, “Promise me you’ll come back.” 

“Only if you promise that you’ll come back too.”

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

Zuko’s eyes grew wide when he saw where Azula was aiming her lightning. His thoughts were going a mile a minute as he ran in front of Katara, taking the blow to the chest. 

His back slammed into the stone floor. He could faintly hear Katara and Azula fighting over the high pitched tone ringing in his ears, but he was focusing on staying awake, pushing back the black that was threatening to take over his vision. 

He made a promise. 

When Katara finally was at his side, working on the damage, he finally let his eyes close. He knew that Katara would take care of him. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

Sokka heard the sickening snap of a bone being broken when he landed, but he ignored it. The only thing on his mind was holding onto Toph. 

When the Fire Nation soldiers made their way to the bottom of the air balloon, Sokka’s heart dropped. This couldn’t be how it ended. He couldn’t die here. 

He made a promise. 

He fought them off the best he could, giving Suki time to come to their rescue. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

Sokka watched as Katara helped a limping Zuko towards them, and he started crying tears of relief. 

“Zuko!” He shouted as he started running towards him, ignoring the pain in his leg as adrenaline took over. Zuko lifted his head weakly, but quickly got a burst of energy when he saw who had called for him. 

He pushed Katara’s arm off of his shoulder, moving as fast as he could towards his boyfriend. “Sokka!” 

They met in the middle, colliding in a hug. Zuko ignored the twinge of pain that came with the embrace, hugging Sokka tighter. He could feel Sokka’s tears slowly soaking through his tunic. 

“Tui and La, Zuko, you made it! I was so worried!” Sokka cried. 

Zuko moved his hand so that it cupped Sokka’s jaw, tilting his face towards him. “I made a promise didn’t I?” Sokka leaned into the touch, lifting his own hand to place it over the one Zuko had placed on his face. 

“Yeah, I guess you did, huh?” Sokka laughed, pulling Zuko in for a kiss without a second thought to everybody watching. 

Zuko didn’t care about who was watching either. He was too focused on the fact that Sokka was alive, he was alive, they had won, Agni, they had won! He happily kissed back, leaning into Sokka’s lips. 

Suki wolf-whistled behind them, startling them out of their moment. They looked around, faces red with embarrassment. 

Katara’s jaw was on the floor, Aang looked happy for them, Suki was wiggling her eyebrows at Sokka, and Toph looked indifferent. 

“Wha- when- huh?” stammered Katara. 

“How long have you guys been together?” asked Aang. 

Sokka shuffled his feet, looking a little sheepish. “Um, since about a week after Boiling Rock.” 

“Congrats, I guess, but you could have told me!” 

The tone of Katara’s voice made Zuko feel guilty. “I’m sorry Katara. I wasn’t really ready for you guys to know I’m gay.” 

Katara’s face softened. “Oh, I’m not angry with you guys Zuko. Sure, I’m a little upset, but it’s not my place to force you to tell me everything.” 

Katara gave Zuko a comforting hug, which Zuko gratefully accepted. 

Suki gently elbowed Sokka. “Oh man, I never thought I would ever get to give anybody the shovel talk.” 

“Please go easy on him,” Sokka pleaded. 

Suki laughed. “Don’t worry, I was kidding. Mostly.” 

Despite the worrying implications of that, Sokka moved on and turned to Toph. “Are you going to say anything, or just sit there silently like a weirdo?” 

Toph crossed her arms. “Oh, please, I’ve known since day one,” she scoffed. 

Zuko looked confused. “How?” 

“I can see with my feet, remember? I see everything,” she scoffed. 

Sokka and Zuko went bright red, and Katara dramatically pretended to be gagging. 

“Okay, did not need to hear that.”

**Author's Note:**

> this fic isn't a part of the surprise? series. 
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoyed this fic! remember to drink water and take care of yourselves, it's very important! <3


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